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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Consumer Forum Directed Oriental Insurance To Pay For Transfer Of Dead Body From US To India

A district consumer forum has
recently ordered state owned insurer the Oriental Insurance Company Limited to
pay over Rs 2 lac to one Mr. Arvind Thakkar spent to bring back the dead body
of his wife, Rashmi from the US.

As per the complainant Mr. Thakkar, he had taken the insurance policy from
Oriental Insurance Company for a period starting from March 22, 2009 to
September 17, 2009. As per the terms and conditions, the company would cover
the transfer charges of the dead body to India if the insured died while
abroad; if the last rites were performed abroad, the cost of that too would be
covered.

On March 31, 2009, Rashmi died at her son's house in the US when he and his
wife were away at work. Although, her son informed the local office of the
insurance company about the death after he returned home, the insurer did not
respond. And the son spent money from his pocket to transfer the body to India.

Then Mr. Thakkar applied to the insurer seeking compensation; but it rejected
the claim citing that since Rashmi had died of cardiac arrest and that ailment
was not covered under the policy. And also, Mr. Thakkar had not revealed at the
time of taking policy that his wife Rashmi had been suffering from heart
ailment.

Mr. Thakkar, then moved the consumer forum seeking compensation of over Rs 2
lac. The forum, headed by Mr. S.S. Vyavahare, ordered the company to pay the
complainant the cost of transferring the body plus 10 % interest from the date
of filing the complaint till disbursal of the amount. In addition, the forum
also asked insurer to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 towards the mental agony
it caused to the complainant, as well as Rs 2,500 towards litigation cost.